Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 and Max M2 Launched in India

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 and Max M2 Launched in India

Asus launched the successor of its budget device Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 a few days back in Russia without any launch event. Today, the company has launched the ZenFone Max M2 and the Max Pro M2 in the Indian market at an event held in New Delhi. Both the devices will be sold in India exclusively on Flipkart.

The handsets look identical but the Pro variant has an edge with better specifications and a smaller notch. The back of the Max M2 has a metal finish while the Max Pro M2 flaunts a glossy finish.

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 is the successor to Asus’s successful Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 launched earlier this year. The device features 6.3-inch display but with a resolution of FHD+ (2280 x 1080 pixels) and is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset paired with Adreno 512 GPU. It is coupled with 4GB LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB/128GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 2 TB with the help of a microSD card.

In terms of camera, the device sports dual rear cameras with a 12MP primary Sony IMX486 sensor with f/1.8 aperture and a secondary 5MP camera while offering a 13 MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture.

The dual-SIM handset runs stock Android 8.1 Oreo and is backed by a 5,000 mAh battery. Other features include a 5-magnet speaker with NXP smart amplifier, fingerprint scanner, and Face Unlock.

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 specifications

6.3-inch FHD+ display

Snapdragon 660 processor

4 GB RAM

64/128GB internal storage

12 MP + 5MP rear camera

13 MP front camera

Android 8.1 Oreo

5,000 mAh battery

ASUS ZenFone Max M2

The ASUS ZenFone Max M2 has the code name ZB633KL. The handset features a 6.3-inch display with a resolution of HD+ (1520 x 720 pixels) and powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 chipset paired with Adreno 506 GPU. There will be two RAM and storage variants – 3 GB/4 GB and 32 GB/64 GB to choose from which can be expanded up to 2 TB with a microSD card.

The device sports a dual rear camera setup with a 13MP primary camera with f/1.8 aperture and a secondary 2MP camera while offering an 8MP camera at the front with a f/2.0 aperture. The dual-SIM handset runs stock Android 8.1 Oreo and is backed by a 4,000 mAh battery. It comes with a 5-magnet speaker with NXP smart amplifier and a circular fingerprint sensor at the rear though it supports Face Unlock.

ASUS ZenFone Max M2 specifications

6.3-inch HD+ display

Snapdragon 632 processor

3/4 GB RAM

32/6 4GB internal storage

13 MP + 2 MP rear camera

8 MP front camera

Android 8.1 Oreo

4,000 mAh battery

Pricing & Availability

The ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 pricing starts with Rs. 12,999 for the 3/32GB variant. While the 4/64GB variant is priced at Rs. 14,999 and the 6/64GB variant is priced at Rs. 16,999. Asus Zenfone Max M2 is priced at Rs. 9,999 for the 3/32GB variant and Rs. 11,999 for the 4/64GB variant.

Both the phones will be flipkart exclusive and will go on sale from 20th December!

LG ThinQ V40 Silently Launched in India, Priced at Rs.49,990!

LG today launched its V40 ThinQ flagship smartphone in India. The smartphone was launched back in October last year in New York and comes with 5 cameras. The South Korean manufacturer unveiled the LG G7+ ThinQ in India last year with dual camera and now a smartphone with a ‘3 + 2” camera setup.

As for the specifications, the LG V40 features a 6.4 inch P-OLED FullVision display with a QHD+ resolution (3120 x 1440 pixels) and an aspect ratio of 19:5:9. It has a top notch and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass on top. Under the hood, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 paired with an Adreno 630. It is coupled with 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB internal storage that can be further expanded up to 2TB via a microSD card.

In the optics department, the device sports a horizontally stacked triple camera setup on rear of which two of them is a telephoto and a wide angle lens. It consists of a 12MP camera with f/1.5 aperture and 1.4µ pixel size, a 16MP wide angle lens with f/1.9 aperture and 1.0µ pixel size and third 12MP camera with f/2.4 aperture and 1.0µ pixel size, AI CAM, Portrait Mode and a LED flash. On the front the V40 offers a dual camera setup of 8MP + 5MP configuration.

The handset runs on Android 8.1 Oreo and is backed by a non-removable 3,300 mAh battery with Qualcomms’s Quick Charge 3.0 and fast Qi wireless charging support . Additional features include Quad DAC, Boombox Stereo Speaker and an IP68 rated water and dust resistant body. There is a circular fingerprint sensor at the rear placed below the triple cameras.

The LG V40 comes at a price tag of Rs 49,990 and is available exclusively from Amazon India in New Moroccan Blue and New Platinum Gray colours. The price will stay the same for the duration of Amazon’s Great Indian Sale from January 20 to January 23. Prime subscribers will be able to order the device a day before on January 19. Launch offer includes 10% instant discount on HDFC Bank credit/debit cards, Rs 1,000 Amazon Pay Cashback for Prime members and one-time screen replacement that is valid for six months and an additional discount of Rs 5,000

OPPO in an event today showcased a 10X camera setup implementing three sensors along with a bigger in-screen fingerprint scanner area. The event didn’t include any smartphone launch or demo of some sort but the Chinese manufacturer promised more in the MWC 2019 event next month.

The 10X hybrid optical zoom technology works by combining its 5X optical zoom with a wide- angle lens that combines to give a 10 times zoom. There is a third camera sensor in the middle for regular snaps but it doesn’t affect the zoom range. The company representatives’ reveals that the module covers the 35mm equivalent of 15.9-159mm focal length. To give you an idea, Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro’s triple camera boasts 16mm to 80mm in 25mm terms.

The new OPPO camera module includes Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) for the main camera and telephoto lens. To build this camera setup, 100+ R&D patients were used and was drop tested 28,000 times. The first samples will be made available in the MWC event in Barcelona. The company promised that this tech will ship to manufacturers this year.

OPPO has also made developments in its display technology with the announcement of a bigger under-display fingerprint scanner similar to the one Lin Bin of Xiaomi introduced earlier today. The new sensor boasts an area 15 times larger than the current one in OPPO R17 and can detect two fingers at same time. Though there was a similar technology with the Vivo APEX concept last year it was not market ready.

A senior OPPO executive calls the technology the new “biometric experience” and is expected to hit the markets and smartphones by the end of this year meaning the company might showcase an early OPPO R19 at MWC 2019 to be held from February 25 to February 28.

Vivo Y91 Launched in India. Dew Drop Notch, Helio P22 & Dual Cameras!

Vivo today silently launched its Vivo Y91 smartphone in the Indian market. The Chinese manufacturer launched the budget smartphone in the Philippines last year in November and in Pakistan last month. It is also just a downgraded Vivo Y93, which launched earlier last year (just the difference in RAM!).

Coming to the specifications, the Vivo Y91 features a 6.22 inch Halo FullView display with a waterdrop notch, a resolution of HD+ (1520 x 720 pixels) and an 19:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, it is powered by a octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 chipset paired with a PowerVR GE8320 GPU. It is available in 2GB RAM and 32GB on-board storage variant that can be further expanded up to 256GB.

In the optics department, it sports a dual camera setup in the rear of a 13MP + 2MP configuration while offering an 8MP on the front for selfies and video calling. The front camera supports Portrait mode and Face Unlock though there is a rear fingerprint sensor. The dual SIM handset runs on Fun Touch OS based on Android 8.1 Oreo and is backed by a 4,030 mAh battery supported by a smart power management feature. Connectivity options include 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GOS and GLONAS and a micro-USB 2.0 port.

The Vivo Y91 comes at a price tag of Rs 10,999 ($155 approx) for the single variant but it might be a introductory pricing and may sell at a Rs 11,990 ($169 approx) later on. It is currently available for purchase through the official Vivo online store in Ocean Blue and Starry Black color options. It comes bundled with a free pair of Bluetooth earphones.

Jio is offering benifits worth Rs. 4,000 along with 3TB data while Airtel subscribers on the other hand will get instant cashback of Rs 2,000 and 240GB of data. There is also an exchange offer but only for old Vivo smartphones, no-cost EMI and 15 days replacement with the purchase of the phone.